Campus Partners
The Kessler Scholars Collaborative represents a diverse network of colleges and universities reshaping support for first-generation college students
Building Connection and Capacity for Student Success
Too often, colleges and universities work in silos, developing student programs and services within their own institutional boundaries. These silos can prevent institutions from working together, learning from one another, and creating innovative ways to support student success. The Kessler Scholars Collaborative seeks a different way forward.
We know that when individuals and organizations commit to sharing resources and expertise to achieve a common goal, amazing things can happen. Our partner institutions are building a network of first-generation student programs and creating a system of support that is bigger and more powerful than what a single college or university can provide on its own.
Program Model
At each partner campus, Kessler Scholars are supported by a cohort of fellow first-generation students as well as by professional staff who provide individualized, comprehensive academic, personal, and social support. Campus-based Kessler Scholars teams are embedded in a broader national network and supported by the Kessler Scholars Collaborative.
Our program is not one-size-fits-all. Each Kessler Scholars Program is tailored to meet the unique needs of first-generation students on our partner campuses.
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Bates College, a nationally-recognized liberal arts institution in Lewiston, Maine, welcomed its first class of Kessler Scholars in fall 2023.
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Brown University is a leading research institution, located in Providence, Rhode Island. Brown launched its Kessler Scholars Program, a part of the UFli Center, in fall 2023.
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Centre College, a nationally recognized liberal arts college located in Danville, Kentucky, welcomed its first class of Kessler Scholars in fall 2023.
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Cornell University launched its Kessler Scholars Program in fall 2019 and has celebrated two cohorts of first-generation students reaching the milestone of graduation as of spring 2024.
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Johns Hopkins University – The Kessler Scholars Program at Johns Hopkins University, launched in fall 2020, provides support specifically designed for first-generation students pursuing academic fields in the humanities and social sciences.
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The Ohio State University, a flagship public research university in Columbus, Ohio, launched its Kessler Scholars Program in fall 2023, building from the successful first-generation support program known as Buckeys First.
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Queens College – The Kessler Scholars Program at Queens College, a part of the CUNY system, launched in fall 2020 and celebrated its first cohort of first-generation college graduates in spring 2024.
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St. Francis College (McGuire Scholars) – The McGuire Scholars Program at St. Francis College in Brooklyn, NY, follows the same cohort-based program design as the Kessler Scholars and launched in 2015.
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Saint Mary’s College is a nationally recognized liberal arts college located in Notre Dame, Indiana, and the first women’s college to join the Collaborative. Saint Mary’s welcomed its first class of Kessler Scholars in fall 2023.
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Syracuse University, located in Syracuse, NY, proudly joined the consortium of colleges and universities who are transforming the first-generation student experience through the Kessler Scholars Program in fall 2020.
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University of California-Riverside, located in Riverside, California, is a public, land-grant research university and designated as a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI). UC Riverside welcomed its first class of Kessler Scholars in fall 2023.
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University of Dayton, a private, Catholic institution in Dayton, Ohio, launched its Kessler Scholars Program in fall 2023 as a transfer partnership project with nearby Sinclair Community College.
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University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill is the nation’s first public university, located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. UNC welcomed its first class of Kessler Scholars in fall 2023 with a focus on supporting students from rural communities in North Carolina.
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University of Pittsburgh, a public research university located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, welcomed its first class of Kessler Scholars in fall 2023.
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University of Michigan is the founding home of the Kessler Scholars Program, which was established as a need-based scholarship in the College of LSA in 2008 and redesigned as a dedicated program for first-generation student support in 2017.
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Washington University in St. Louis is a private research university located in St. Louis, Missouri. WashU launched its Kessler Scholars Program in fall 2023 with a focus on first-generation students pursuing academic majors in STEM fields.